Yin Xiaojiu

Two hours after setting up the formation, Ye Tong's depleted Vital Energy was replenished. His cultivation was too weak, which saved him a lot of time. Saving a life was like fighting a fire, and the Zhang family's old matriarch was in critical condition. He had already received benefits, so he directly chose to refine the Hundred Solutions Liquid a second time.

Finally.

Ye Tong succeeded in refining the Hundred Solutions Liquid at the moment his Vital Energy was depleted for the second time.

"Take it."

Zhang Pinsou put away the Hundred Solutions Liquid with a complicated expression and thanked him sincerely. He regretted deeply why he had chosen to stand by and watch when the Yin Yang Old Monster Mu Wutian set fire to the Precious Medicine Workshop. If he had participated in putting out the fire back then, he would not only have preserved the favor from that distinguished person but also forged a good relationship with Ye Tong.

Golden Scales are not ordinary things.

Having seen countless people in his life, he seemed to have seen a peerlessly stunning, world-shattering genius about to emerge. In the future, perhaps he would become someone even he himself would have to look up to.

Alas.

There are thousands of medicines in the world, but none of them can cure regret.

Zhang Pinsou left with his daughter, filled with deep regret.

Ye Tong stood by the cauldron, gazing at the breathtakingly beautiful Mu Qianlan. His heart was calm as he asked, "The Zhang family father and daughter have left. Why aren't you going?"

Mu Qianlan said with a half-smile, "This place is the most suitable for cultivation in the entire Cold Mountain City. With such abundant spiritual energy, wouldn't it be a waste not to cultivate?"

Ye Tong said, "That's a superficial reason."

Mu Qianlan chuckled behind her hand and said, "Alright! Then I'll tell you the real reason. I came to Cold Mountain City alone for training, and meeting the Zhang family father and daughter was just a coincidence. Now that they have the Hundred Solutions Liquid, I believe the Zhang family's old matriarch will be safe and sound, so I am free to go wherever I please."

Ye Tong asked, "Anything else?"

Mu Qianlan smiled and said, "There's also... you've piqued my interest. I plan to stay and see what other miracles will happen with you."

Miracles? What miracles are there? It's just refining a batch of pills. Can that be considered a miracle?

Ye Tong shook his head and said calmly, "I'm not interested in you."

Mu Qianlan's expression stiffened for a moment, but then she smiled again, "The more you say that, the more interested I become. Fine, I'll go take care of something, and I'll be back after I'm done."

With that, Mu Qianlan floated away gracefully.

Ye Tong watched Mu Qianlan's retreating figure and sighed inwardly. He belonged to the Miyi lineage, able to glimpse the Yin and Yang and understand the secrets of heaven. Every time he leaked heavenly secrets, he would be plagued by bad karma. Those who became interested in him would inevitably be implicated if they got too close. Apart from the Medicine Slave, the old man who stayed by his side day and night and would change his fate against heaven, he didn't want to get close to anyone else.

No!

There was still one person.

A delicate, pretty face appeared in Ye Tong's mind. This was not someone he knew, yet he did know her. A little girl with a pure heart who had sacrificed a lot for him.

Yin Xiaojiu.

A poor child from a poor family in Cold Mountain City. When she was young, her parents sent her to a textile shop, signing a twenty-year indenture. However, she had a cold constitution and was often ill. The textile shop had kicked her out years ago. Now, Yin Xiaojiu could only linger in the medicinal materials market, acting as a tout for visiting adventurers. The commissions and rewards she received were used to support her family on one hand, and on the other, they were spent on Ye Tong.

He had inherited "Ye Tong's" memories and his emotions.

Ye Tong seemed to see, as if guided by fate, an invisible thread of the Heavenly Dao that had already entangled him and Yin Xiaojiu, making it extremely difficult to break free.

"Young Master."

The Medicine Slave returned after completing his task, followed by dozens of craftsmen.

Ye Tong asked, "How much Blue Silver is needed to rebuild the Precious Medicine Workshop?"

The Medicine Slave replied, "If it's according to the previous scale of the Precious Medicine Workshop, including building materials, it will require a total of one thousand four hundred taels of Blue Silver. Our Precious Medicine Workshop is in a secluded location with plenty of open space around. If we expand, we can utilize the nearby open land, and your desired private bathroom would also be realized."

"Mm, I know that." Ye Tong continued, "How much Blue Silver is needed for expansion?"

The Medicine Slave said, "I've already inquired. It will require around two thousand taels."

Ye Tong said without hesitation, "Then let's expand. After all, this is where we are temporarily residing! Medicine Slave, later get one thousand taels of Blue Silver and buy some jade. Also, I've made a list of some things I need. Buy those as well."

"Yes!"

The Medicine Slave nodded with a smile.

Ye Tong was silent for a moment, watching the craftsmen begin to clear the ruins. He slowly said, "Although we have some Blue Silver now, we can't just sit around. I need medicinal herbs, and there are many in the Golden Phoenix Mountain Range. In the next two days, arrange the rebuilding of the Precious Medicine Workshop properly. After two days, we'll head to the Golden Phoenix Mountain Range."

Afterward.

Ye Tong asked the Medicine Slave for two gold notes, two hundred taels of Blue Gold, which was equivalent to two thousand taels of Blue Silver, and then headed towards the Warm Medicine Pavilion. He needed Iron Ring Grass. Although he knew not many people bought Iron Ring Grass, there were always unexpected situations. He needed to buy the Iron Ring Grass as soon as possible to feel at ease.

The medicinal materials market in Cold Mountain City covered a large area and was divided into two zones. The eastern side was the stall area, where small vendors set up their stalls. Although most of the medicinal materials sold were ordinary, precious herbs occasionally appeared. The western side was the shop area, with hundreds of medicinal material shops, most of which sold high-quality medicinal materials, but there were also those that were mediocre.

Ye Tong walked along the bluestone path, passing through the shop area.

He had lived in this medicinal materials market for ten years. For the first nine years, he had hardly stepped out of the Precious Medicine Workshop. It was only in the last year that he had frequently visited the market to buy the medicinal materials he needed. He had even toured the entire Cold Mountain City several times.

South of the medicinal materials market was Cold Mountain City's large trading market, a place where adventurers bought and traded goods. Between the two markets was a hundred-meter-wide open space, on which ten arenas had been erected.

Adventurers.

They were desperadoes who risked their lives for wealth and resources. Fighting was common for them, but Cold Mountain City had its own order. Especially in the trading market and the medicinal materials market, private fights were strictly forbidden. Therefore, whenever an adventurer encountered an enemy, they would choose to ascend the arena and fight to the death.

Furthermore, if two adventurers in the trading market and medicinal materials market set their sights on the same item, they would often use their fists to determine the final ownership of the item.

Here, martial prowess was valued.

In this world, the winner is king, and the strong are respected.

The Warm Medicine Hall was not located within the medicinal materials market, so Ye Tong did not want to waste time here. However, as he was about to leave the medicinal materials market, a figure blocked his path.

Aunt Fang.

One of the stall owners in the market area, who had become somewhat familiar with Ye Tong because of Yin Xiaojiu, was Aunt Fang. Dressed in a green checkered coat with her hair neatly tied up, Aunt Fang had lost her usual gentle demeanor. She said urgently, "Ye Tong, I was just about to go to the Precious Medicine Workshop to find you! Xiaojiu... Xiaojiu went up to the arena."

Ye Tong froze, then his expression changed drastically. He grabbed Aunt Fang's arm, pulling her towards the arena while quickly asking, "Aunt Fang, what happened? With Xiaojiu's cultivation, how could she go up to the arena?"

One must know.

Yin Xiaojiu's cultivation path and the techniques she practiced were taught by him. According to the eighteen layers of Qi Refining, Yin Xiaojiu could at most be considered to be at the First Layer of Postnatal. She was stronger than an ordinary person, but against a cultivator, she was absolutely no match.

Aunt Fang said, "It's Butcher Zhang's son. He and Xiaojiu were competing for a customer's tooth-eye official position, and they went to the arena to fight. Ye Tong, Aunt Fang knows you're not well, but Xiaojiu is also delicate. How can she fight with others? If that burly kid from Butcher Zhang's family injures or cripples her, Xiaojiu's life will be ruined. You have to think of a way to help Xiaojiu!"

"Aunt Fang, don't worry. With me here, Xiaojiu will be fine."

Ye Tong moved as fast as lightning. When he arrived at the third arena area, he found it surrounded by people, three layers deep. Humans naturally enjoyed watching excitement, and even a fight between two twelve or thirteen-year-old children attracted quite a crowd, including many powerful adventurers.

On the arena.

The small and thin Yin Xiaojiu looked a little flustered, but her clenched fists were quite strong. Opposite her stood a boy with a tiger-like head, half a head taller than Yin Xiaojiu.

"You stinking girl, kneel down and apologize to me, and I'll go easy on you later. Otherwise, I'll break your legs, and you'll have to crawl and beg here for the rest of your life." Although Zhang Xiaofei was young, his father was a butcher, and he had seen blood since childhood, so he had a ruthless streak in his bones.

His words made many of the surrounding adventurers nod in agreement.

Ruthless!

That's how you survive in this world where the strong prey on the weak.

Yin Xiaojiu stubbornly said, "That customer was clearly the one I met first. Why are you snatching him from me? Your father is a butcher; you don't lack Blue Silver at all. But I still need to save up Blue Silver to buy medicine for Brother Yezi!"

Outside the crowd.

Ye Tong was trying hard to push through the crowd. When he suddenly heard Yin Xiaojiu's words, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and a tremor went through his heart.

So.

She was competing with the other party to be the tooth-eye official, even going so far as to get on the arena, all to earn money to buy him medicine?

"This... foolish girl."

Ye Tong had thought that after his relatives in that world gradually passed away, he had already developed a heart of stone. But Yin Xiaojiu's pure affection made him suddenly realize that he still had the softest part of his heart.

On the arena.

Zhang Xiaofei didn't rush to attack. In his opinion, this frail little thing in front of him was no match for him, not even for three punches or two kicks. He had loved to show off since he was a child, especially after his father spent a lot of money to have him train with a boxing master, which made him even more arrogant and conceited.

At this moment.

With so many people watching, he felt like he had become the protagonist, the most dazzling person.

Zhang Xiaofei beckoned with his finger and said disdainfully, "You stinking girl, you're still thinking of saving money to buy medicine for others? I think you should save that money to buy medicine for yourself! Come on, this young master will let you have three moves."